Pre Show Luxury at the Mandarin Oriental Las Vegas

Have you ever been to a Las Vegas trade show? Then you know that its sheer size can be so brutal on the body. By day 3 of my favorite beauty industry tradeshow, COSMPROF NA , I only wanted to wear my favorite jeans and sneakers and the phrase “I’ll just run back to the room” felt like a death sentence. This year was especially challenging because the heat hovered at 123 degrees as we crossed Death Valley on our way from LA to Las Vegas What? Yes. 123 degrees.

This year I was honored to serve as a COSMOPROF Trend Scout and joined some of your favorite beauty influencers like Lavenda’s Closet, Glamour by Hosway, Hank and Henry and Forever Untamed to visit with new brands as well as some of our old friends and share our show faves with all of you.

Last year after the Cosmoprof show, I visited the MO Las Vegas Spa, Pool Cafe and pool after the show for some much needed post-trade show R&R.

This year, we switched things up and decided to visit the MO Las Vegas for a little luxury pampering before Cosmoprof, and I think that may have been an even better idea!

We got in the car and headed to the Mandarin Oriental. It’s nestled between the luxury high-rises with views of Aria and the Cosmopolitan and luxury storefront facades providing a guilded gauntlet to the understated, almost private, entrance to the Mandarin Oriental.

There was a rust colored McLaren outside the doors, and the valet told us it belonged to one of their nicest residents at the MO. We ran into him and he happily talked about his beautiful, luxury car and even offered to take us for a ride. Everywhere we looked, basketball players and sports agent types filtered in and out of the moody interior of the MO Las Vegas … this is one of my favorite properties for so many reasons.

Photo Credit: @theskinnyconfidential via IG

Lunch at the Pool Cafe

We took the elevator to the 3rd floor, walked past MOzen Bistro and took another bank of elevators to the 8th floor deck. Don’t worry, the MO Las Vegas is an intimate casino-free property so these walks are very short.

The Pool Cafe offers casual New American dining with very fresh cuisine, delicious deserts and of course, amazing cocktails. You can enjoy their fare al fresco in the pool cafe with misters taking any edge off the 100+ degree July heat, poolside under an umbrella or in the private comfort of one of the luxury cabanas with your own misters, lounge chairs, TV’s and server. There are so many fun options.

We skipped breakfast (I’m currently playing with Intermittent Fasting thanks to my friend and celebrity trainer Arthur Pia back in WeHo) so I was hungry, bordering on hangry. Our server, Carla, guided us through the menu and here’s what we ordered:

MEZZE PLATTER

Char grilled pita, hummus, tzatziki and Greek peperonata. How is it possible that even the carrots tasted a little more delicious?

SUMMER RICE PAPER ROLLS

Lettuce, carrots, glass noodles, mint, cilantro, avocado and cucumber with sweet chili sauce. These were light, refreshing and perfect for the heat.

SALMON BURGER

Seared salmon with tartar sauce with traditional garnishes and root vegetable chips. This was not a salmon patty as one might expect, but rather, a real piece of beautifully cooked salmon served like a burger.

Photo Credit: Mandarin Oriental Las Vegas

HAWAIIAN TUNA POKE BOWL

Pickled English cucumber, sambal mayo, avocado, hijiki, ponzu sauce and sesame seeds. I was really happy to see this on the menu as I must admit, I have a poke obsession. Bank in LA, the Hawaiian staple can easily be found popping up on almost every street corner!

DRINKS BY (AND IN) THE POOL

No poolside afternoon in Vegas is complete without some cocktails, and here are some of the delicious speciality cocktails we sampled. And yes, everything is served in plastic should you decide to take a plunge in one of the pools whilst sipping on an icy beverage.

LEMONGRASS PEACH SPIKED TEA

Belvedere peach nectar vodka, housemade lemongrass syrup, fresh lemon juice and blooming peach green tea. I want to learn how to make this and bring back the sensory memory when swimming in our West Hollywood pool this summer.

GIN APPLE FIZZ

Hendrick’s gin, melon liqueur, green apple syrup, fresh lime juice, topped with club soda. This was a little too tart for me, but if you are a fan of a crisp green apple with a hint of sour notes, then this may be perfect for you.

MOET IMPERIAL ICE ROSE IMPERIAL CHAMPAGNE

It should come as no surprise to anyone who knows me that was my absolute, hands down favorite of the day. We spent the rest of the afternoon in the private luxury of our own cabana, and the manager Askin brought me a lovely white pool friendly goblet of this pink bubbly on ice and I was smitten.

Stay tuned for my next post all about the pool, cabana and the amazing, oh- so Instagrammable Rose Garden Cabana!

What about you dear Vanity Girls? What are some of your favorite Vegas lunch spots, cabanas and pools?

Maxine Tatlonghari is the award-winning innovator behind the Vanity Girl Hollywood brand, bringing you the original Hollywood vanity mirror. She chronicles her (mostly) glamorous beauty boss life in The Vanity Girl Diaries, with a focus on lifestyle, beauty, female founders and philanthropy. She resides in West Hollywood and loves to travel.